Sex offender gets 20 years in prison

The San Diego man tried to kidnap a girl and exposed himself to a teenager

San Diego  A registered sex offender who tried to kidnap a 9-year-old girl last year and exposed himself to a teenage girl was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison.

Ieremia Tuiolemotu, 39, pleaded guilty last month to charges including attempted aggravated kidnapping with intent to commit a lewd act on a child, forcible lewd act on a child under 14, and annoying or molesting a child under 18.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Frank Brown sentenced Tuiolemotu in accordance with the plea agreement and ordered him — once again — to register as a sex offender for life.

Tuiolemotu was arrested last summer at his City Heights home after DNA linked him to the attempted kidnapping of the 9-year-old, who was walking to school June 15, 2009, about 8:45 a.m.

Police said the defendant drove up in a white minivan on Latimer Street in Valencia Park, grabbed the girl and pulled her into the van. She was able to break free after a few minutes and escaped.

About a week later, Tuiolemotu exposed himself to a 17-year-old girl on Wightman Street in City Heights. The girl was walking to a nearby elementary school to pick up her brother, authorities said.

Deputy District Attorney Dino Paraskevopoulos said the defendant was on probation at the time of the offenses. He said Tuiolemotu was previously required to register as a sex offender after misdemeanor convictions in San Mateo County in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Tuiolemotu pleaded no contest in those cases to charges of unlawfully annoying a child and unlawful lewd exposure. He also has a 2005 conviction for petty theft in San Mateo County, the prosecutor said.